The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1921. DISPOSAL OF PRODUCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 August 1921, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1921. DISPOSAL OF PRODUCE.

So far as primary .products are concerned, the Dominion possesses many favorable advantages, and its prosperity depends on the prices obtained therefor in the world’s markets. Much has been done to improve the quality of our exports in order to obtain the highest values offering, but much remains to be achieved by effective organisation both as to shipping and disposal. The Farmers’ Union Conference last week devoted considerable time and attention to the marketing of produce. The first step in the direction is transport, and on that question it was decided to favor the formation of a producers’ shipping company, rather than the institution of a State-owned fleet of ships. When this decision was submitted to the Act-ing-Premier, lie stated that the proposal must await Mr. Massey’s return, but a cable message subsequently received states that Mr. Massey is willing to cooperate with the exporters so as to institute a shipping line as a private enterprise, but not as a State-owned concern, and as that policy is consonant with the views of farmers, there appears to be no reason why they should delay taking the preliminary steps in the matter. As regards the disposal produce the less Government interference the better. It is for the farmers to organise and frame a scheme that will best attain the object they have in view, which is a free market, open competition, and effective means of distribution. Mr. Massey states that the opening of retail meat shops in Britain is impracticable, and mentions that one British firm alone has twelve hundred shops which would compete with New Zealland. Possibly it may be thought that if one firm makes a success of organised meat shops, the producers of the Dominion could do the same. That is for i the producers to decide. That there is ample scope for enterprise, in disposing of New Zealand meat at satisfactory prices is certain, though, naturally, the easiest way is to supply the trade at wholesale prices, and thus sacrifice an appreciable amount of profit. No one is able to give better advice on this matter than Sir Thos. Mackenzie, and the producers would do well to entrust him with the formulation of a practical scheme. Inasmuch a-s the prices obtained for produce are of the utmost importance, the need for concerted action is evident, especially in view of the low values prevailing at present. An enterprising propaganda campaign conducted on the right lines would be beneficial. In fact, the greater the enterprise shown, o the more the goods will be advertised. and the better will be the returns.

assist the Government valuers, and that appellants should have the right to appoint an assessor to the Assessment Court. It was also claimed that the whole of the Dominion should be revalued periodically, and come into force simultaneously. The system of appointing an assessor to assist the valuer in each district is one that was advocated some time back in these columns. However well qualified a valuer may be for the duties he has to perform, if hie valuation is to be equitable he must have an accurate local knowledge of the producing value of the land in. its prairie state, as well as a practical knowledge of the cost of improvements to enable the highest production to be obtained. It is- easy for a valuer to base his estimates on the latest prices at which land has been sold in any particular locality, but that is unfair and inequitable, for the reason that any one holding may consist of eeveral kinds of soil —good, bad, and indifferent—and unless he has the actual local knowledge he cannot strike a just average. Nor can a valuer know the amount of labor put in in draining swampy lands. It would probably have been advisable for the recommendation to have embraced some practical proposals concerning the penalising of those who, in the past, have secured light valuations by reason of neglect to farm their land properly, thereby casting an additional burden on the efficient and progressive agriculturalists. If, as should be the case, an improvement in the method of valuation is to take place, it would be advisable to thoroughly overhaul the present system so as to encourage those who are doing their utmost to increase production, and to impose on the holderfl of large holdings assessments based on those of the small holdingfl. If the system is properly revised, there would be no need for The resolution passed at the New Zea-